Asteroid security

30-metre asteroid skimming past Earth in October will test Nasa's doomsday 'planetary defence system'

On October 12, a 30-metre is set to make a 'close' flyby of Earth.

The asteroid, named 2012 TC4, will pass just 4,200 miles (6,800 kilometres) from Earth for the first time since it went out of range in 2012.

Nasa is using this opportunity to test it's 'planetary defence system' put in place to protect Earth from a doomsday asteroid threat. 

Asteroid 2012 TC4 is estimated to be between 10 and 30 metres in size.

Michael Kelley, a scientist working on the Nasa TC4 observation campaign, said: 'Scientists have always appreciated knowing when an asteroid will make a close approach to and safely pass the Earth because they can make preparations to collect data to characterise and learn as much as possible about it.

Crime

Churchwarden faces jail for importing ‘obscene’ child sex doll

The dolls, often manufactured in China and Hong Kong, are a “relatively new phenomenon” in the UK and should be criminalized, NCA’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) Hazel Stewart said in a statement.

“We know their purchase can indicate other offences against children, as was the case against Turner who had a sickening stash of abuse images.

“Importers of such obscene items should expect to have law enforcement closing in on them.”

Border Force officers have seized 123 dolls since March 2016, and so far seven people have been charged with importing them, including one man who was jailed last month.

Of the seven men charged with importing the dolls so far, six also faced child porn allegations.

Dan Scully, deputy director for intelligence operations at the Border Force, said this showed those who ordered the models often strayed into sex crimes.

International cooperation

Russia to ratify additional protocol to Council of Europe anti-terror convention

Russia will spare no effort to have the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism ratified the soonest possible, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"If duly implemented, the Protocol will help build up international anti-terrorism cooperation and boost the efficiency of measures taken by its signatory states in the sphere of counteracting foreign terrorists," the ministry said.

"Russia will spare no effort to have the Protocol ratified the soonest possible."

The document is a supplement to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism of 2005. It establishes criminal liability for terrorism-related activities, including financing and organization of trips to terrorist training centers in any part of the world. It also envisages the establishment of a network for online information exchange between the convention’s signatory nations.

Human trafficking

By the numbers: Migrant deaths and human trafficking in the US

When 10 smuggled migrants died in San Antonio from being trapped in a scorching hot semi truck with almost no air to breathe, the country was appalled.

But their deaths are just a fraction of how many people die each year trying to flee their homelands and sneak into the US.

Every year, hundreds of undocumented immigrants perish trying to make the journey. And virtually all of those deaths occur while being smuggled, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Friel said.

Weapons

New Air Force Study Warns of Chinese Hypersonic Weapons

A recent Air Force Studies Board report identified that the U.S. is not alone in its quest for this increased speed, an Air Force statement said.

The statement went on to say that China and Russia are already flight testing hypersonic weapons, and several other countries have shown interest in pursuing many of the underlying technologies for hypersonic flight.  

“We must push the boundaries of technology in every area," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said in a statement. "Our adversaries aren’t standing still. They are looking for every advantage they can get.”

While expressing growing concern about Russian and Chinese hypersonic weapons progress, US developers have been progressing with hypersonic flight and hypersonic weapons possibilities for several years.

Immigration security

Britain doesn’t need to ‘take back control’ of immigration. We already have it

Concern over immigration was one of the most important factors for those who voted for Brexit, yet we already have the power to take back control of the free movement of EU citizens to the UK – we just aren’t using it. Both major political parties’ front benches, and even cabinet members, are divided when it comes to whether Britain should remain in the single market, which entails allowing free movement of people within the EU. But the reality of immigration in Britain today is a far cry from the public’s perception.

EU nationals can register to enter UK during Brexit transition

 

Read more

We lost control over our borders almost two decades ago. In 1998, Tony Blair removed exit checks. Nobody checks your passport once you have gone through security at an airport, as they do in virtually every other country in the world.

Afghanistan

Trump might stay in Afghanistan for minerals — and it could endanger US national security

But deploying more troops to help guard mines for American companies would endanger US national security, Laurel Miller, a Rand Corporation analyst and former US diplomat to Afghanistan, told Business Insider.

It "would be an excellent propaganda point for the Taliban," Miller said, adding that "decisions based on sending troops are best made on national security interests."

Miller said that the national security risk would be eliminated if the US opened up bidding to companies worldwide, which would still benefit Afghanistan's economy too.

Opening up bidding, however, would risk American lives and treasure to help build Afghanistan's economy — something Trump said he opposed during the election.

Nuclear security

Why doesn’t South Korea have nuclear weapons? For a time, it pursued them.

North Korea has nuclear weapons and — if its ever-advancing ballistic missile program is any indication — it wants to keep open the possibility of using them against adversaries. So why shouldn't South Korea have nuclear weapons, too?

The question was reignited this week in Seoul, where North Korea's missile test on Friday raised alarm about the risk of conflict on the peninsula. Over the weekend, South Korean officials suggested that they would seek to further develop their ballistic missile system, perhaps renegotiating an agreement with the United States that places limits on its missile capabilities.

Climate security

Global warming will cause 260,000 premature deaths from air pollution by 2100, shocking study claims

Climate change will cause 260,000 deaths globally by 2100 through air pollution, a shocking new study claims.

It adds to growing evidence that the overall health effects of a changing climate are likely to be overwhelmingly negative.

The study includes what its authors say is most comprehensive data yet on climate change, air quality and premature death.

It found that the killer smog will affect all regions globally, except Africa. 

Immigration security

John Kelly’s Promotion Is a Disaster for Immigrants

In just six months, Kelly turned DHS into a deportation machine.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly did such an efficient job implementing Donald Trump’s anti-immigration agenda that he’s getting promoted. Trump announced in a surprise tweet Friday afternoon that Kelly will replace Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff.

“John has done a spectacular job at Homeland Security,” Trump tweeted. “He has been a true star of my Administration.”

Indeed, in the last six months, Kelly has turned the DHS into one of the most productive arms of the Trump administration. Kelly managed to translate much of Trump’s brazen anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric into actual policy. And if the numbers are any indication, Kelly has certainly flourished. Arrests since Trump took office in February increased by 40 percent over the prior year. But perhaps more important than the numbers is Kelly’s impact on immigrant communities, where apprehension and fear now reign.

National security threat

The Opioid Crisis Becomes a National Security Threat

Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid, is highly toxic. The drug is 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 5,000 times more potent than heroin. Only 20 micrograms, roughly the size of a grain of salt, can be fatal. The seizure in Vancouver was enough to kill 50 million people – every man, women, and child in Canada.

Carfentanil was developed in the 1970s as a tranquilizer for large animals – elephants and hippos. Dr. Rob Hilsenroth, the executive director of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians said last year that carfentanil is so powerful that zoo officials wear protective gear "just a little bit short of a hazmat suit" when sedating animals because even one drop in a person's eye or nose can be fatal.

The extreme lethality of carfentanil has led most countries to classify it as a chemical weapon. It is banned from the battlefield under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Andrew Weber, President Barack Obama’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Program, said it plainly and simply last year: “It’s a weapon.”

Laser

The World’s First Functional Laser Weapon is Ready to Protect You

The weapon was designed to strategically take out flying unmanned vessels. It also has the ability to surgically destroy engines of manned watercraft without endangering the lives of any onboard personnel. The Geneva Convention restricts the use of laser weapons against humans, but the high precision of the laser could allow it to target a ship’s engine without the use of missiles. “That type of precision weapon work is something that you don’t really get with conventional weapons because there tends to be more collateral damage,” Inez Kelly, a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command science adviser, told CNN.

Civil defense

Omdahl: Crackers in the capitol basement

At one time in my checkered careers, I was a contract writer for the North Dakota Civil Defense Survival Project, a federally-funded undertaking in 1958-59 to save the country in case of nuclear attack by the Russians.

This was launched only four years after Congress added "one nation under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. However, the thinking in the Pentagon was that this may not be a sufficient defense against those Godless communists so they wanted a backup plan, God notwithstanding.

Our first planning assumption was that the Russians would bomb the Air Force bases at Minot and Grand Forks. Bismarck and Fargo protested because they thought they were as important as Grand Forks and Minot and deserved the honor of being targets, too.

In North Dakota, it is our culture to resolve objections by taking complainers into the all-inclusive boat. So we added Fargo and Bismarck as targets without checking with the Russians.

Electronic surveillance

Addressing unjust US surveillance policies

As the new administration’s rhetoric around maintaining public safety reaches a fever pitch, cutting-edge surveillance technologies are being rolled out and used on the American public — often without the public’s knowledge or consent, and often without judicial authorization.

With the Supreme Court allowing parts of President Trump’s Muslim ban to go into effect, Attorney General Sessions removing oversight of local police and expanding prosecution of immigrants, the expansion of a virtual border is widening and its targets — indigenous groups, communities of color and immigrant communities — are narrowing. But members of Congress hold the power to put a halt to this — or at least enact significant reforms to existing surveillance policies.

Military

Our army is bigger than YOURS! China, Russia and Nato forces put on a huge show of strength as the world's powers flex their military muscles

Elsewhere today, Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw a pomp-filled display of Russia's naval might as the Kremlin paraded its sea power from the Baltic Sea to the shores of Syria.

Some 50 warships and submarines were on show along the Neva River and in the Gulf of Finland off the country's second city of Saint Petersburg after Putin ordered the navy to hold its first ever parade on such a grand scale.

Putin told servicemen: 'Today much is being done to develop and modernise the navy. The navy is not only dealing with its traditional tasks but also responding with merit to new challenges, making a significant contribution to the fight against terrorism and piracy.'

The showcase event to mark Russia's annual Navy Day is the latest to be beefed up by Putin, with the Kremlin strongman also bolstering the traditional WWII victory parade in Moscow as he looks to flex the country's military muscles.

Military

Outgoing US Army Europe commander pushes for ‘Military Schengen Zone’

As the U.S. Army Europe commander prepares to exit the military stage in September, he’s pushing for better ways for militaries to move freely around the European theater. A military Schengen zone, he thinks, might be the best way to achieve that goal.
In addition to improving the speed at which countries recognize an emerging crisis and make decisions on how to respond, the “speed of assembly,” is also critical to get capability in place to prevent a crisis or react to a crisis, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said at the U.S. Army-led Saber Guardian exercise in Romania this month.
“This exercise has helped us improve our speed of assembly, the movement of allied forces from all over Europe to the Black Sea region and highlighted that we still have challenges with freedom of movement,” he said.
“More than anything we need a military Schengen zone, something that would allow a military convoy to move across Europe as fast as a migrant is able to move across Europe,” Hodges said. “Right now that is not the case.”

Economic security

China and Russia in Central Asia: Rivalries and Resonance

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, by fiat of geography, cannot ignore Central Asia on its way to Europe and Central Asia’s shared border with China’s Xinjiang boosts the economic logic with security rationale. The Belt and Road, which isn’t so much a set plan as an opportunistic stitching of relevant projects together, nonetheless brings the heft of actual funding into a region in desperate need of infrastructure development.

The Eurasian Economic Union, on the other hand, is “a customs union among former Soviet states orienting their economies towards Moscow.” The customs union aims to promote free trade and movement within the union, and imposes tariffs on external imports. Sharper critics see the EEU as an attempt to resurrect the Soviet Union, while more nuanced observers — such as the authors of a Chatham House report on the EEU, released earlier this year — view the EEU as part of Moscow’s effort to “strengthen its own global influence,” but that Russia is not “preoccupied with making it work.”

Crisis Group’s report walks through each initiative, highlighting areas of concerns. Along the Belt and Road, challenges include anti-Chinese sentiment. One of the most clear outpourings of this sentiment were the 2016 spring protests touched off by rumors that new land code laws would allow foreigners (i.e., Chinese) to buy up Kazakh land.

Military

China shows off newest weapons in huge military parade

Chinese leader Xi Jinping presided over a major military parade Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump renewed his criticism over Beijing's failure to rein in North Korea.

The parade, long anticipated but only officially announced Saturday, was part of the celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). It was also viewed as a potent reminder of Xi's firm grip on power ahead of a key Communist Party meeting this fall, where a major leadership reshuffle is expected.

Unlike previous public displays of its growing military might, China held Sunday's event at the remote Zhurihe military base in Inner Mongolia -- instead of in the center of Beijing.

Korea

North Korea’s Nuclear Arms Sustain Drive for ‘Final Victory’

The China Course

The key to understanding North Korea’s strategy may lie in the recent past of another Asian nuclear state: China.

Mao Zedong’s China began, in the 1950s, as a pariah state, isolated and threatened by the United States. It became, in the 1960s, a rogue nuclear power. And then it rose, through the 1970s, into an accepted member of the international community, embraced even by its onetime adversary.

North Korea appears bent on following that progression. A nuclear program that can threaten the United States, making war unthinkable, would be only step one — and may, with the missile tests this summer, now be complete.

China ultimately won acceptance by playing the United States against the Soviet Union, not by rattling nuclear sabers. Its size and power also made it impossible for other nations to ignore it, advantages that North Korea lacks.

International security

US, allies prepared to use 'overwhelming force' in North Korea, general says

The U.S. and its allies are prepared to use “rapid, lethal and overwhelming force,” if necessary, against North Korea, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces warned Saturday night.

The statement from Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, U.S. Pacific Air Forces commander, came after the militaries of the U.S., South Korea and Japan spent 10 hours conducting bomber-jet drills over the Korean Peninsula.

The training mission was a response to North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches and nuclear program, and part of the U.S. regular commitment to defending its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, the general’s statement said.

“North Korea remains the most urgent threat to regional stability,” O’Shaughnessy said.

Corruption

Pakistan PM: Brother of ousted Sharif lined up to take over

The brother of ousted Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif has been lined up to take over as prime minister.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) anointed Shahbaz Sharif but he will first have to be elected to the National Assembly.

Former petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will serve as interim PM.

Nawaz Sharif stepped down on Friday following a decision by the Supreme Court to disqualify him from office over corruption allegations.

The ruling came after an investigation into his family's wealth following the leak of the Panama Papers in 2015, which linked Mr Sharif's children to offshore companies.

Sanctions

Collateral Damage: U.S. Sanctions Aimed at Russia Strike Western European Allies

Do they know what they are doing?  When the U.S. Congress adopts draconian sanctions aimed mainly at disempowering President Trump and ruling out any move to improve relations with Russia, do they realize that the measures amount to a declaration of economic war against their dear European “friends”?

Whether they know or not, they obviously don’t care.  U.S. politicians view the rest of the world as America’s hinterland, to be exploited, abused and ignored with impunity.

The Bill H.R. 3364 “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” was adopted on July 25 by all but three members of the House of Representatives.  An earlier version was adopted by all but two Senators. Final passage at veto-overturning proportions is a certainty.

Innovations & technologies

Counter Terrorism Efforts to Include Car Disruption Devices

According to couriermail.au, the crime-fighting list includes armoured vehicles that can withstand extreme fire power, plus vehicle-mounted electronic disruption devices that can stop vehicles in their tracks.

Counter-terrorism police are already using drones the size of flies to spy and gather intelligence on suspected jihadists. These devices could become some of the most critical tools police have in their terror-busting kit, especially as international lone wolves use vehicles to plough down crowds.

As well as a further $3 million for specialist sniper rifles, counter-terrorism police say they also need technology to stop an attack before it occurs. Surveillance such as Wi-Fi exploitation devices allows police to harvest data from a phone or laptop when a target walks past the device.

Also on the list is the Xaver 400 – a radar system that can detect people behind walls. With a detection range of 20m, it has the sensitivity to detect non-moving live objects. It also has wireless capability for remote monitoring and control.

Electronic surveillance

Mobile Empire Dips in The AI Waters

Motorola, the mobile giant, is developing AI tech for cameras and public safety in a new partnership with artificial intelligence experts Neurala. Motorola, which will handle the software side of the project, will be working with Neurala’s AI technology to integrate it into hardware such as Motorola’s body cameras that are worn by law enforcement.

Although the project is in development and Motorola makes no claim of being anywhere near rolling things out on a finalized basis, it has stated that its aim is to provide law enforcement with tools that could help to locate persons of interest and missing persons. According to androidheadlines.com, Motorola and Neurala are now working on a prototype camera which Motorola can use for testing in real-time scenarios.

National security

Israeli Military Intelligence No Longer So Keen on Knowing Thy Enemy



Col. Michael Milstein, the COGAT adviser for Palestinian affairs, published an illuminating article last week describing the intelligence challenge in trying to analyze the people’s behavior in the territories and Arab countries. Milstein, a former head of the Palestinian research department at Military Intelligence, says this type of research is in dire straits “on both sides of the ocean.” He says that, in the past, intelligence research focused on analyzing the intentions of leaders and the enemy’s military capabilities.
Nowadays this research has to identify complex processes motivating the people or non-state organizations. But still, an intelligence analyst who’s an expert on another culture or mentality is considered less valuable than before. The focus is skills centering on thought processes and strategic analysis, combined with an overreliance on technology, which is expected to provide quick and precise answers to complex questions.

Homeland security

Meet the woman set to lead Homeland Security

Washington veteran Elaine Duke is set to temporarily take the helm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a dramatic shakeup up at the White House this week.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed Friday evening that Duke, who currently serves as Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly's deputy, would become acting secretary starting Monday when the agency’s current chief steps aside to take on a role at the White House.

President Trump abruptly announced Friday evening on Twitter that the current DHS secretary would be replacing Reince Priebus as chief of staff as part of a major staff shakeup.

Trump spoke briefly to reporters to explain his decision, calling Kelly a "star" in his administration. Kelly, who previously led U.S. Southern Command, praised DHS employees for their "exceptional work" in a statement on his decision to accept the White House position.

Nuclear security

Role of nuclear arms in Russia’s military strategy: Setting the record straight

The Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation, adopted in 2010 and revised in 2014, is a clear guidebook regarding our military strategy, including the role of nuclear force, in the event of aggression.

According to this document, “the Russian Federation shall reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy."

This should leave no doubt in the solely defensive nature of the Russian nuclear force. It has always been and will be in the interest of our country to strengthen the strategic stability that helped keep the peace since the end of the Second World War. Nuclear deterrence remains a fact we have to live with.

Russia has been a consistent advocate of further limitations and reductions of nuclear weapons stockpiles along with strengthening international regimes of arms control and non-proliferation.

People smuggling

By the numbers: Migrant deaths and human trafficking in the US

When 10 smuggled migrants died in San Antonio from being trapped in a scorching hot semi truck with almost no air to breathe, the country was appalled.

But their deaths are just a fraction of how many people die each year trying to flee their homelands and sneak into the US.

Every year, hundreds of undocumented immigrants perish trying to make the journey. And virtually all of those deaths occur while being smuggled, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Friel said.

Law enforcement

Combating Homegrown Terrorism

The FBI utilizes a comprehensive violence reduction strategy, which focuses on all pathways to violence but is not limited to the sole focus of homegrown violent extremism. Our violence reduction strategy is primarily composed of prevention and intervention lines of effort.

In the area of prevention, the FBI has a long history of engagement in outreach and education initiatives, and continues this effort as we identify and adapt to current trends.

In collaboration with our state and local partners, the FBI has historically been very successful in outreach programs designed to reach certain communities who are at greater risk for radicalization. For example, FBI Minneapolis served as a pilot program for the Bureau immediately after September 11, 2001, when their executive management regularly hosted focus group meetings with specific audiences, such as the Somali elders, in order to address their concerns and needs.

Some of our popular outreach programs that have had a positive impact on the community are the Campus Liaison Initiative, the Private Sector Liaison, the Corrections Initiative, the FBI Citizens Academy, and the Junior G-Man Program. These efforts are managed by our division outreach coordinators, in conjunction with the JTTF and local partners. Additionally, the division outreach coordinators assess the needs of their individual community groups and develop specific programming tailored to integrate community and law enforcement goals to mitigate local risk factors for violence.

Middle East

IS THE CIA ABOUT TO DUMP A KEY KURDISH ALLY? THE SPOOKS ARE SPOOKED

There’s a moral quandary at the core of Western human intelligence practices.

Should intelligence agencies dirty their hands by working with and perhaps even paying human rights abusers and those engaged in illicit activities?

Many human rights activists and progressives would say absolutely not, but the issue isn’t so cut-and-dry. While in an ideal world the CIA would not work with those with blood on their hands, often it is these very same people whom it is necessary to compromise to gain insight into decision-making and activities.

In one prominent example, the CIA partnered with a terrorist who had killed Americans in order to attain information which helped France capture Carlos the Jackal, one of the most notorious terrorists of the pre-9/11-era.

The important thing for intelligence operators is not to lose sight of the forest for the trees.

Nuclear security

North Korea says missile test shows all US within range

North Korea has hailed as a success its latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile describing it as a "stern warning" for the US.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the test proved that the entire US was within striking range, state media reported.

The launch came three weeks after North Korea's first ICBM test.

US President Donald Trump called it "only the latest reckless and dangerous action by the North Korean regime".

Confirming the launch, the North said the ICBM flew for just over 47 minutes and reached an altitude of 3,724km (2,300 miles).

Privacy security

US Surveillance Makes Privacy Shield Invalid

EU Should Reevaluate Decision on Transfer of Personal Data

United States surveillance laws and programs are so broad and contain such weak safeguards that they render the EU-US Privacy Shield invalid, Human Rights Watch said today in a briefing and letter to the European Commission, published jointly with Amnesty International. The Commission’s 2016 decision approving the Privacy Shield arrangement makes it legal for internet companies to transfer users’ personal data from the EU to the US, with major commercial implications. The arrangement will undergo its first annual reviewin September 2017.

Cybersecurity

Cyber security startup Callsign raises $35 million

Founded in 2012 Callsign has developed technology that analyzes hundreds of data points to determine whether users are actually who they say they are when logging into websites and applications.

By assessing information such as where the user is connecting from, and how much pressure is applied when swiping on a mobile device, the company says it helps reduces the risk of criminals gaining access with stolen credentials.

The investment comes as companies around the world seek to protect themselves from the rising cyber security threat. Data breaches are expected to cost businesses $2.1 trillion globally by 2019, almost four times the cost of breaches in 2015, according to estimates from Juniper Research.

Tortures

CIA torture case may go to trial if 2 psychologists don’t sway judge

Three former CIA detainees who underwent enhanced torture methods claim that two psychologists should be held responsible for the suffering they experienced at the hands of the agency.

The American Civil Liberties Union is scheduled to represent three former detainees on Friday in US District Court in Spokane, Washington, against James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, two psychologists who helped the CIA devise illegal torture techniques following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. The final outcome of this hearing will determine whether or not the lawsuit will go to trial on September 5.

Criminal investigation

Jealous Russian widow murdered her wealthy husband by poisoning his mashed potato with a deadly chemical favoured by Cold War KGB assassins after discovering his affair

A Russian widow has been jailed for murdering her banker husband by poisoning his mashed potato with a chemical favoured by KGB killers in the Cold War.

Ekaterina Puzikova, from Russia's Samara region, was found guilty more than five years after her husband Dmitry's mysterious death after being consumed with jealousy over his lover.

The glamorous 28-year-old was accused of using deadly thallium, a heavy metallic chemical which can be radioactive and which was favoured by Cold War assassins because it is hard to detect.